England Cricket 2023

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

England are reigning 50-over and 20-over champs. Stokes was at the crease winning the finals on both occasions on wickets that were tough to bat on. I've no idea what wickets we can expect in India, but I want Stokes there if they are tricky. If they're 350+ wickets, not so important. (The pattern in these big tournaments is for wickets to become slow and tired as the tournament progresses.)

Yeah it's kind of ironic that despite his role as the Bazball leader of the test team, what he really offers the short form teams above others is his ability in tight, low scoring situations.

I can't believe they can't also find a place for Brook though. He and Buttler would be the first names on the teamsheet for me. Drop Malan if necessary - not that he deserves to be dropped but he'd be comfortably behind Brook imo.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Who is going to open? Bairstow and an other, I guess? Brook would fit as an opener imo. Then you've got Root, Stokes, Buttler, Moeen, Livingstone? I'm not totally convinced by Livingstone, but his IPL stats are astoundingly good. He clearly likes batting in India. One of those who hits more sixes than fours. How does that translate into 50 overs? Not sure his bowling is too much of an asset to be brutally honest, so it's only really his batting that matters.

Sure these pointless t20s will tell us, um, well, nothing at all.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Who is going to open? Bairstow and an other, I guess? Brook would fit as an opener imo.

Presumably they're still thinking it will be Roy. I'd agree Brook looks a better bet - very similar to when they moved Bairstow up actually. Roy has very much been about going at it from ball one and fuck it if you get out, Brook could absolutely do that.

 

[planetgeli]

Making your best player captain (often associated with Test cricket) now appears to have become making your best player open (limited overs). Sorry but no.

Brook is comfortable at 4. It's not like he isn't going to get a chance to bat. Let the shine come off, don't give away your best batter to the chance of nicking off in the first 4 overs.

Actually he isn't going to get a chance to bat atm of course, but it was interesting to see Buttler using exactly those words "at the moment" last night in reference to Brook's position, or lack of it, in the squad. They know they've made a mistake. I expect him to be there.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I would still say that Root is England's best batter in 50 overs. Average over 50, England's top scorer in 2019.

Opening in odis is different because of the power play. Crawley would actually be ideally suited to the role as well, as would Duckett. First 10 overs are all about finding boundaries.

England's 50-over method is to go hard straight away from both ends and keep going. Treat it like an extended t20. Sometimes of course that means failure, but I see no reason to change it. They have the players to make it work.

 

[Petcha]

It's crazy that Brook has been left out. Who's the better batsman at the moment - Stokes or Brook? The answer's blindingly obvious. Stokes is not even white ball captain which let's face it is his main skill these days in the test side.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

He averages 40 with the bat in tests since becoming captain. I agree that he's not the best batter in the team, but he's worth his place for sure, and his numbers don't quite tell you the whole story. He won't score many if he comes in with the score on 350-4. He reserves his best performances for times when his team are deep in trouble.

I rate Brook. Don't get me wrong. But Stokes is a proven - the proven - pressure batter in the England team, and arguably the world, across formats.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Regardless of whether he's the best pick for ODIs, Stokes is the test captain, he's past 30 and he's in need of rest and treatment.

 

[Petcha]

Regardless of whether he's the best pick for ODIs, Stokes is the test captain, he's past 30 and he's in need of rest and treatment.

Indeed. There's a massively gruelling tour coming up. I don't quite know why he's put himself up for this.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Regardless of whether he's the best pick for ODIs, Stokes is the test captain, he's past 30 and he's in need of rest and treatment.

Yes, there is that. He was going to use this six-month layoff to try to sort his knee. I wonder if he actually believes he can ever get right for bowling again. Botham became an ineffective medium-pacer in his later years. Flintoff tried to come back but failed. Unlike those two, bowling was never Stokes's strongest suit, though. May be wiser to think of himself as a batter from now on.

 

[WhyLikeThis]

T20 is cricket for simpletons.

 

[Petcha]

New Zealand are quite good at cricket. Surely this is their year. They've earned it.

And Daryll Mitchell.. What a cricketer.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Who is going to open? Bairstow and an other, I guess? Brook would fit as an opener imo.

Brook is opening today against NZ interestingly.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

New Zealand are quite good at cricket. Surely this is their year. They've earned it.

And Daryll Mitchell.. What a cricketer.

Yeah, he mostly goes under the radar. Bit of a late starter, and not flamboyant, but he's building an excellent set of numbers. Player for a crisis, too. Those aren't soft numbers.

I can see NZ falling just short again tbh. I'm going to predict semi-finals this time around.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Probably shouldn't read too much into these warm-up matches, but easy peasy lemon squeezy for NZ today. England look toothless.

 

[WhyLikeThis]

I knew Flintoff had a nasty car accident, I didnt realise how bad he was. Poor old fucker.

Flintoff pictured for first time since Top Gear crash

Former England captain Andrew Flintoff is pictured for the first time since he was injured in an accident while filming Top Gear last year.

www.bbc.com

 

[Petcha]

Probably shouldn't read too much into these warm-up matches, but easy peasy lemon squeezy for NZ today. England look toothless.

You might as well play the test side really, seriously. With Baz in charge. I mean they score at 5 an over over 5 days. Imagine what they'd do over 50 overs.

 

[planetgeli]

It's crazy that Brook has been left out. Who's the better batsman at the moment - Stokes or Brook? The answer's blindingly obvious. Stokes is not even white ball captain which let's face it is his main skill these days in the test side.

Just a 50 and a century so far for Stokes in the first 3 ODIs. Useless.

 

[planetgeli]

I also agree Brook is being dicked around, though maybe I'm only agreeing with myself.

Checks

Yes.

Making your best player captain (often associated with Test cricket) now appears to have become making your best player open (limited overs). Sorry but no.

Brook is comfortable at 4. It's not like he isn't going to get a chance to bat. Let the shine come off, don't give away your best batter to the chance of nicking off in the first 4 overs.

 

[Petcha]

Decent innings from Stokes there. Could have increased his strike rate a bit but not bad.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Maybe I was a bit quick with the 'drop Malan' call...

 

[Petcha]

I think you should left selection calls to the experts like myself.

Drop Buttler, make Stokes captain, bring Broad and Jimmy in and open with Duckett and Crawley. Job done.

 

[Petcha]

Oh and drag Baz fron whatever vineyard he's currently swilling at and make him coach

 

[planetgeli]

I think you should left selection calls to the experts like myself.

Drop Buttler, make Stokes captain, bring Broad and Jimmy in and open with Duckett and Crawley. Job done.

Once fit, I have no problem with dropping Bairstow for Jason Roy. Then drop Malan down to 3 and bring in Zak Crawley who if he's going to play bish, bash, bosh as an opener he might as well do it in ODIs. Obviously this drops Root, seemingly out of form in 50 overs. Then 3 out of 4 of Brook, Buttler, Stokes and Livingstone.

Crawley
Roy
Malan
Brook/Buttler/Stokes/Livingstone (pick 3)

Presumably Buttler has to be one of them to keep wicket (unless you risk Duckett as an opener)

Moeen for balance and a last hurrah.

Curran at 8

Willey (at 9 ffs!)

Woakes (at 10 ffs!)

Rashid

One hell of a batting line-up with possibly Rashid and Moeen as the weaker links on current form.

I think Brook is fighting (and losing) with Livingstone because Livingstone bowls a bit. But you can trust your bowlers no? Australia just did against South Africa. Only 5 used. They conceded 416/5 with Zampa going for 0-113 so maybe there's a flaw in that argument...

 

[Petcha]

Zak Crawley is the new England captain. No, seriously.

Zak Crawley leads England’s next generation in ODI series against Ireland

Sam Hain and Tom Hartley are among four debutants in the squad while Joe Root requested to play in the first ODI on Wednesday to find his touch

www.theguardian.com

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Once fit, I have no problem with dropping Bairstow for Jason Roy. Then drop Malan down to 3 and bring in Zak Crawley who if he's going to play bish, bash, bosh as an opener he might as well do it in ODIs. Obviously this drops Root, seemingly out of form in 50 overs. Then 3 out of 4 of Brook, Buttler, Stokes and Livingstone.

Crawley
Roy
Malan
Brook/Buttler/Stokes/Livingstone (pick 3)

Presumably Buttler has to be one of them to keep wicket (unless you risk Duckett as an opener)

Moeen for balance and a last hurrah.

Curran at 8

Willey (at 9 ffs!)

Woakes (at 10 ffs!)

Rashid

One hell of a batting line-up with possibly Rashid and Moeen as the weaker links on current form.

I think Brook is fighting (and losing) with Livingstone because Livingstone bowls a bit. But you can trust your bowlers no? Australia just did against South Africa. Only 5 used. They conceded 416/5 with Zampa going for 0-113 so maybe there's a flaw in that argument...

So Roy is out. Root has to start. He flew a bit under the radar in 2019 but he was England's top scorer. He should be there for the same reason Stokes should be there. They've done it before, under pressure, and Root is still England's best batter. 50-over cricket is now if anything closer to test cricket than to t20. He has to play.

Roy is the unlucky one. Got injured at just the wrong time.

I'm still not convinced by Curran. If anything, t20 appears to be his thing. He's played one significant innings in 20-odd ODIs and while he's admired for his death bowling, he does go around the park a fair bit. Woakes is as good a batter and a better bowler imo.

Moeen plays, yes, as a last hurrah. His ODI stats are underwhelming, but as ever hope springs eternal with Moeen. He is very hit and miss but I still like him coming in at seven.

Meanwhile, Wood should play wherever it suits and he's fit. IPL has shown that raw pace is effective in white ball cricket in India. There's a reason the quickest bowlers go for big money. They need that point of difference on flat tracks. If it's seaming a bit, ok leave him out. He probably can't play every match anyway, particularly if England hope to take him back to India for the tests, which is looking unlikely now he's signalled that he doesn't want a central contract.

I think this WC is wide open. I make India favourites because they are at home, but half a dozen teams could potentially win it. For the first time, no West Indies. I know they don't deserve to be there on performances, but it feels wrong. Good luck to the Dutch. They're going to need it.

 

[WhyLikeThis]

In some lighter news: 'Bazball' added to Collins online dictionary

All the more cheering as Baz hates the term.

 

[Petcha]

The article could explain why he's known as Baz. His middle name is Barrie. Baz is shorthand for that in NZ.

It probably would be beneficial to England cricket if said Baz was put in charge of the ODI team but maybe he wouldn't go for that. Given the resources at English cricket's disposal it's astonishing how shit the ODI team has become under the current leadership.

 

[Petcha]

Brilliant management from England. Stokes will now have his knee surgery when he could have had it months ago instead of attending the debacle in India.

 

[planetgeli]

Stuart Broad: ‘I’m still not 100% sure what “the spirit of cricket” means’

The now former England bowler talks to Donald McRae about that Bairstow dismissal, retirement and why playing for Brendon McCullum was the best experience of his long career

www.theguardian.com

Anyone read this? Broad has a book out, hence the article. However, though I reckon I'd hate him if I met him (he's very much a Tory twat isn't he? But aren't they all) he gives good interview. He actually says real stuff, honestly. Without spoiling the article too much he seems genuinely mortified by the way he acted after Bairstow's dismissal - while also suggesting it's about time the Aussies, or even one of them, admitted it might not have been a great thing to do. I'd love to know exactly what he said to Pat Cummins.

Worth a 5 minute read anyway.